(Review from progarchives.com)

Well this album seemed to be coming out of nowhere back in 95. The Scandinavian progressive resurgence had only touched Sweden until now, but this octet will break all the rules and make a completely different music.

Right from the first notes of the opening tracks, you wonder whether these guys are really serious in their music, for those “sick operatic” voices and the Zeuhl-ish jumpy bass has you wonder if they are not spoofing Magma (not that Kobaian sounds like Finnish though) or just having a ball smoking one joint too many. Certainly throughout their short recording career, Kone will often have zany Zappa-esque moments combined with the Finnish propensity at being a little oblique to the good old Anglo-Saxon world. Even if their second track is calmer, Hoyry Kone will remain rather hard to grasp, even if their influences are clearly heard, they manage to remain completely original and even a tad innovative (love that cello), thus avoiding the trap that most of their Skaldic fellows fell into.

The album really starts with the lengthier third track (the Barren Dull) where that so-typical melancholy of the Far North and the Frippian guitars (League Of Crafty Guitarist) rule, providing some calm before the short stormy Pannuhuoneesta that breaks loose with an untameable RIO ala Miriodor criss-crossing with X-Legged Sally. In many ways, this last group might just be one of the closer resemblances (but this is still far from close) to Kone’s musical realm.

The marvellous “Luottamus” track is one of the album’s highlights because of its delicate soft jazz and its delicious final section where you’d swear you heard Baltic choirs calling you to paradise. Directly dominated by a wild instrumental Kaivoonkatsoje with Crimsonian guitars and a certain ambiance sometimes resembling Harmonium’s twiddling with the Martenot Waves on L’Heptade. The lengthier Kosto (Revenge) is again another tour de force with an excellent booming bass, weird and wondersome vocals and a wild violin, reminiscent of David Cross. With each new track, the album is getting stranger and strangest and the instrumental Hätä takes us out of this galaxy for the second highlight of the album. While the group never gets as violent as X-Legged Sally, they do strike our imagination as hardcore by certain aspects of their music. The last two tracks are more of the “same” (as if these guys managed to make the same) and ending on the title track (Insects) and how to accommodate them to your liking. Oh yes, there was a time where hidden tracks were in and we get woken up after a minute of silence by a mad chaos lasting some 30 seconds.

Hoyry Kone’s music is probably one of the most original since the closing of the 70’s. Be forewarned that your brains and ears will suffer an irreversible alienation that will transform you further into a sorcerer of sounds emanating from your speakers.

Line-up:
- Jukka Hannukainen / vocals, synths, programming
- Teemu Hanninen / drums
- Tuomas Hanninen / guitars
- Jussi Karkkainen / guitars, pump organ
- Nina Lehos / oboe
- Topi Lehtipuu / vocals, violin
- Marko Manninen / cello
- Jarno Sarkula / bass, pump organ

Track List:
01. Orn (3:58)
02. Raskaana (3:10)
03. Hamaran joutomaa (7:07)
04. Pannuhuoneesta (2:08)
05. Luottamus (4:30)
06. Kaivoonkatsoja (4:00)
07. Kosto (5:57)
08. Hata (3:42)
09. Myrskynmusiikkia (6:46)
10. Hyonteiset (3:13)

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